Melodies of Affection
by shattered glass lilies
Summary: In which Sasuke is a music talent scout and Itachi is a poor man with a talent. ItaSasu. AU. Rated for cursing and smut in later chapters.
1. Welcome to Southwest Suna

Southwest Suna, the most populated suburban area of a famous costal city. It is most well known for its stunning beaches, warm tropical weather, and fine dining establishments. There are a plethora of activities to partake in every single day, ranging from amusement parks to golf courses to shopping districts. With so many positive aspects, it is no surprise to anyone that such a region attracts many tourists, as well as residents. The elderly makes up a majority of this population. In other words, there are a lot of fucking snowbirds.

"What the hell! No way, there is no fucking way your merging into my lane right now you stupid son of a bitch!" a very enraged Uchiha Sasuke snarled, pressing down on the gas peddle of his black Hummer H2. "There is a better chance of me sucking off my 12th grade P.E. teacher than that!"

There was a groan of disgust from the passenger seat. "For Kami's sake teme, images! How did your mind come up with that anyways? Do you find big, busy eyebrows and bowl haircuts attractive or somethin?" the blond man known as Uzumaki Naruto questioned, watching the white Cadillac slowly begin to merge its way over into the nonexistent spot in front of their own automobile with amused cerulean eyes. "You know what, I don't even want to know. What's your big hurry anyways? It's not like we have anywhere we have to be, we're on paid vacation baby!"

"For one idiot, we're not on a vacation, my uncle sent us here to look for underground musicians," the raven-hair man grouched, laying on the horn as the previously mentioned car finally moved in front of them, practically stopping in the process. "Secondly, I for one do not want to keep having to deal with these old pieces of shit who couldn't drive if the whole world depended on it!"

"Eh eh eh bastard," the other man chastised, propping his feet up on the dashboard and waggling his finger in the air "aren't you always the one telling me to respect my elders? You can't be a hypocrite, it's not fair."

Sasuke responded with a simple 'hn' noise in his throat and turned his attention back to the road. In all three northbound lanes, luxury cars (one of which was the individual who had seemed hell-bent on getting in front of them) drove at least ten miles under the speed limit, blocking any other traffic from passing. On one side of his SUV there was a minivan chock full of little runts, and on the other an elderly man who looked like he was barely conscious swerved all over the road. The prospect of driving by either of these vehicles made Sasuke rather wary, but he had no choice but to continue on.

Coming to Suna had not been the raven-haired man's choice. His uncle and boss, Uchiha Madara, had made a hasty decision to send two of his best talent scouts to the city after hearing of some of the great finds other agencies had discovered there.

"_Akatsuki," _the man had declared _"is the current leader in recruiting the newest and most noteworthy artists in this industry. We cannot let our reign be ended by letting our competition sign all the individuals in this newly found underground music scene. Uzumaki, Sasuke, you two are my best agents. I expect great results from the search you will perform in Suna over the next three months."_

"_What?" the two other occupants of the room chorused, one in excitement, the other in horror._

"_No way man! You're sending us to Suna? As in one the most desirable places to live in the country?" the blond gasped, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. _

"_Would I ever lie to you Naruto?" Madara has questioned, mirth dancing through his strange maroon eyes._

_There was a pause from the tan man as he contemplated the question. "Eh, probably,' he responded with a shrug, "but I'm just going to give you the benefit of the doubt here."_

_A creepy laugh filled the room and Naruto immediately stopped bouncing to stare at the elder Uchiha. Sasuke too stopped his brooding momentarily to glance at his uncle._

_The only noise or movement for a few more seconds came from Madara, who calmed down from his fit of hysterics and wiped fake tears from his eyes. Clearing his throat and then readjusting his custom-tailored Armani suit, the male once again began to speak. "Alright boys, your flight leaves tomorrow at seven A.M. so I suggest you take the rest of the day off to pack your belongings and say sayonara to your loved ones. I don't expect to see you back here until January."_

_With a joyful cry, Naruto rose from his seat and practically ran out of the executives' office. Even through the closed mahogany door, both Uchiha could hear the exuberant cries of "HELL YEAH, I'M GOING TO SUNA BITCHES!"_

_A small smirk graced Madaras' pale pink lips as he turned to his young nephew, the boy he had practically raised as his own son. "Now my little Saucy-Chan, do you want to tell me what has gotten your panties in a twist or do I need to call Izuna to drag it out of you?"_

_Puffing out his cheeks in a childish manner and slouching in his chair at the mention of the man who had acted as his mother for years, Sasuke just made a low noise in his throat before mumbling a 'no.'_

"_Well, tell me what is bothering you then sweetie," the older of the two cooed, rising from his bulky leather chair to move closer to the other and beginning to pet his hair._

"_For one, I hate when you call me that, I'm not nine anymore," the younger snapped, slapping the hands that brushed against his hair away._

"_Your so mean to your uncle," Madara pouted, pulling away his arms and then crossing them over his chest._

"_And second of all," Sasuke continued, ignoring the guilt-trip that was aimed towards him, "where do you get off thinking that you can just send me off to some random part of the country? I'm not just your employee to thrust around as you please, I'm a fricken' college student too! I can't just skip all my classes, how am I supposed to pass my exams if I never show up? You knew all this when your hired me uncle!"_

_The CEO of Akatsuki Records and Uchiha Inc. blinked owlishly for a few moments before beginning to once again stoke his nephews' wild tangle of locks. "I have already taken care of the matter, you are to just take your courses from your laptop. You always complain how most of the professors you have are not up to par anyways, so now the ability to teach yourself is available. Based on my previous perceptions on you and your views, I take this will please you."_

_ Sasuke let out a soft sigh before once again pushing Madaras' limbs away and standing up. "I guess that will work, although I doubt I will get anything done with that idiot bouncing around all the time."_

_ "Do not fret, I'm sure he will be compliant to your wishes. You two are very close friends, yes?" the older of the males asked as he moved back towards his desk._

_ "I wouldn't call what we have a friendship uncle."_

_ "Nevertheless," the business tycoon stated softly "I doubt he will be staying around the house during the day. The beach is very nice around the area in which you are going, and that boy seems like a person who would enjoy spending time there."_

_ "I suppose," Sasuke muttered, brushing away some of the ebony bangs that had blocked his vision due to his uncles ruffling._

_ "Now that we have that issue cleared up," Madara said, his voice reverting back to that of a businessman rather than a father figure "I suggest you run along home to Izuna, I'm sure he will want to spoil you to death before your flight tomorrow. Uzumaki should arrive to our residence at 4 A.M. tomorrow morning; the tickets are laying on the table in the entryway. When you arrive in Suna, there will be a vehicle waiting on the third level in the ramp, blue section, number 105. The key is hidden under the hood and directions to the residence should be in the glove compartment."_

_ With a curt nod, Sasuke smoothed out the invisible wrinkles in his shirt and made his way towards the door that would lead him out of his uncles' office._

_ "Oh, and Sasuke," the elder Uchiha called "I know you don't particularly like SUV's, but trust me, you will be thankful once you get on the road."_

_ The younger responded with a confused look and a "yes uncle" before exiting the room and making his way towards the elevators that would take him to the lobby of the building._

After dealing with Naruto and his enthusiasm much too early in the morning, along with slow elderly people in the line for security, slow elderly people taking off their shoes and other articles of clothing in security, slow elderly people walking to the gate, slow elderly people getting on the plane, slow elderly people bitching on the plane throughout the seven hour flight, slow elderly people getting off the plane, and slow elderly people at the baggage claim, one could say Sasuke had become sick of aged population. After spending a half an hour searching for the damned automobile, the two men had stumbled upon the Hummer and Sasuke had practically thrown a hissy fit. His uncle had not been kidding about the fact that they were to drive around in a large vehicle. The brunet had grouched about the fact the whole time in which they had loaded the luggage into the back of it- the space was surprisingly small for such a bulky piece of machinery- but as soon as he had hit one of the main highways, he saw why it was necessary.

Apparently all of the snowbirds (plus a few more old residents, Sasuke swore that they multiplied like rats) on the plane thought it was okay for them to drive with their slow reflexes and bad eyesight. They had a tendency to drive many miles under the speed limit and swerve between lanes on the highway. Two white cars battling to straddle the centerline was not an uncommon sight as wasn't the action of one of the said cars stopping at a green light. It took a significant amount of concentration and effort in order not to get in an accident, both of which Sasuke did not feel like giving.

Releasing an annoyed sigh as the group of cars he was in- still mashed between the minivan, old woman, and oh-so-speedy luxury cars- rolled to a stop at a red light, the brunet ran his fingers through his sweaty locks and glanced over at Naruto. The blond was staring intently at the old woman as she picked her nose with a bony, wrinkly finger. Cringing in disgust, Sasuke turned to look out his own window at the children in the minivan.

There had to be at least several more kids than there were seatbelts for, with their ages ranging from what looked like 17 to under 2. The runts were crawling all over the place, like spiders in an abandoned house, pressing their faces and hands up against the windows. Even with the windows of the Hummer rolled up and the music playing at a low level, he was able to hear the screeching that resonated from the vehicle. Their mother, an older woman with graying hair pulled into a sloppy bun, seemed to be angrily screeching at someone on the other end of her cell phone while shaking her arm around in the backseat to chastise the misbehaving animals.

Suddenly, one of the kids, a boy who looked to be around 10, looked directly at Sasuke and stuck out his tongue. The Uchiha sneered at the child and shot him a dirty glare, only to have a raspberry blown at him in response. An intense rage began to boil in his gut, so he turned up the dial on the glare meter from 'moderately annoyed' to 'pissed.' The youth just grinned and turned his back to the older man before pulling down his pants and briefs to reveal a small ass. Sasuke froze in his seat for a few moments before the situation hit him fully.

A child just fucking MOONED him!

With an angry snarl, Sasuke slammed the button to roll down the window of the truck to give the little shit a piece of his mind. Just as he was about to start his tirade, the young boy flipped him the bird and the minivan drove away with a lurch. Slamming his smooth hands down hard on the steering wheel, the brunet let out a long string of curses escape his lips. His elegant eyebrows were drawn in frustration and he was about to slam his hands down once again when a loud honk from the car behind broke him out of his reverie.

"Uh, bastard, I don't know what's gotten you to riled up, but the lights green. I think maybe we should 'put the pedal to the metal' as they say," the blond spoke, motioning towards the light with his large tan hands as cars drove around them, sending dirty looks as they passed.

Growling at his passenger and mumbling something inaudible, Sasuke slammed his foot down on the gas and the Hummer lurched forward once again.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Sasuke found himself pulling into the courtyard of a large mansion. No doubt one of Madara and Izunas' many properties scattered around the globe, it was no shock to find the Uchiha crest etched onto one of the stone fence posts.<p>

"Holy mother of ramen teme! Is this seriously where we are staying?" Naruto gasped, mouth open and gaping like a suffocating fish and he took in the sights.

"It would seem so, although this obviously isn't one of the more high-end houses," the Uchiha muttered, staring warily at the rust-incrusted metal bench that was situated in the middle of a few untrimmed hedges.

"Ha! You must be joking! This place looks amazing!" the blond cried, pawing at the door of the truck as it pulled to a stop near the entrance. The tan man exited the vehicle and raced around the courtyard looking like a kid in a candy store.

With a quiet sigh, the raven too got out of the vehicle, albeit at a slower pace. He unlocked the rear door and proceeded to remove his duffel bag and backpack before moving towards the front door to the house. "Dobe, hurry up and get your bags so I can lock the damn truck."

Glancing over his shoulder to double check the idiot was doing as he asked, Sasuke dug the keys out of his own bag before thrusting them into the lock. It took a bit of effort, but he finally managed to unlock the mechanism and open the door. Surprisingly, there was no dust that covered any of the furniture and the ceiling seemed free of any cobwebs that would usually appear when a house went unlived in for an extent of time, as this one had. With an unconcerned shrug, he entered the building and made his way over to where he knew the bedrooms were located. He heard yet another gasp of excitement from Naruto as he entered the house.

"Sasuke bastard, this house is amazing! I mean, not as cool as the one you have back in Konoha but it's still pretty far up there on the scale," the man stated, marveling at anything his eyes landed on.

The Uchiha had to agree, his uncles really had outdone themselves whilst designing and decorating the establishment. The house was located on a prime piece of real estate right off of the ocean. It had an open design with a minimal amount of walls, aside from those in the bedrooms and bathrooms that is. The ceilings were high, as were many of the windows, giving the occupants a view of the lanai, yard, and coast beyond that. The shell of the house was able to be removed and thick curtains dropped down, letting the sea breeze bluster through the home, but not allowing the cool air to escape. All appliances and electronicnics were extremely modern, despite the fact that the house had not been used for quite some time. The furniture was made out of the best materials and complemented the light colors of the woodworking and paint well.

Responding with only a short noise from his throat, the raven-haired man continued on his way, hoping the other man would realize to follow him. Luckily for Sasukes' patience, Naruto did and managed to stop his ever-running mouth.

Mere seconds passed when Sasuke pointed to an off-white door. "This," he said curtly "will be your room for the duration we stay here. That," he said, pointing to a second door a few feet away and across the hall "will be mine. You were informed that I do have to work on my studies during the day, so please do not disrupt me for anything but an emergency if the door is closed. Understand?"

With a dubious nod, the other tan man entered his room silently and the brunet continued onto his own. Blinding throwing his bag and backpack onto the floor, he immediately turned around to go scout the kitchen for any sort of food. Due to the time difference between Konoha and Suna, it was quite late in the afternoon by the time they arrived. Sasuke felt rather sleepy- he blamed it on jetlag- and too lazy to go out grocery shopping or even to a fast food restaurant that evening. Whatever he could manage to scour up for dinner would have to do.

He entered the room and stifled a yawn as he made his way toward the refrigerator. Yanking the stainless-steel door open, the raven was surprised to find it chock full of different types of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and many other types of sustenance. There were also two pre-made meals sitting innocently on the shelf with a note with his name written sloppily across the top. A little shocked, he removed the meals and placed them on the counter before reading the message.

_Saucy-Chan,_

_ I know just how sleepy you get after spending your day traveling, so your papa and I assumed you would appreciate it if we had the housekeepers do some shopping before your arrival. I hope whatever meal was thrown together will suit your needs for tonight. Hopefully you will meet the house sitters tomorrow and be pleasantly surprised. Do not forget to call after you have eaten so we do not worry._

_ Love Always,_

_ Madara and Izuna_

With a slight grunt, Sasuke pocketed the note and unwrapped one of the two plates. It was stacked high with a few types of ongiri, as well as several slices of tomato. Smirking slightly at some of his favorites, he consumed his meal in silence before rinsing the plate and gently placing it in the dishwasher. The man returned the second plate to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water from the shelve. Cracking open the seal on the lid, the brunet dimmed the lights and returned to his bedroom, checking in on Naruto first to let him know of the dinner that was left for him in the kitchen.

After brushing his teeth and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, Sasuke grabbed his cell phone and dialed the number of his uncle Izuna. The line was connected following several rings but it was not his papa who answered the phone.

"_The fuck you want kid?_

"Uhh, Uncle Madara?" Sasuke questioned quietly as he picked at a piece of lint on the bedspread he was situated on.

"_Who else would it be?"_ the other man questioned, an irritated tone playing through his unusually gruff voice.

"Did I interrupt something? I-I mean you told me to call you after I ate in that note, s-so…" the younger Uchiha stuttered.

There was a snort from the other end of the line before a reply _"The first time you're away from the house in weeks and you expect that we wouldn't be doing anything Saucy-Chan? Shame on you and your naivety if you really believe that."_

Sasuke felt his face flush a pale pink "I-uh, I can let you go now if it's a bad time."

"_No, no," _grouched, and the raven could imagine his uncle waving his hands in a disregarding manner _"now that you've ruined the moment, we may as well talk. Izuna has been going on about you anyways."_ There was a slight rustling noise and a voice, which Sasuke presumed was Izunas' demanded Madara put the speakerphone on. _"Sheesh little brother, you act like such a woman sometimes."_

"Hi papa," Sasuke muttered lowly, his blush slowly beginning to reside.

"_Hey sweetie how was your flight?" _Izuna cooed through the line.

"It was fine papa, just a bunch of stupid old people made it kind of suck." The sound of laughter from the two men on the other side of the line made Sasuke cringe slightly. So they obviously knew about the amount of elderly people before and didn't tell him. Fabulous.

"_So Saucy, are you happy about having that Hummer at your disposal now that you've experienced Suna driving first hand?"_

The young raven felt an angry feeling full his belly at the thought of that stupid kid who mooned him from the minivan, but thought better than telling his makeshift parents about it. They would probably just laugh at his expense anyways. "Yeah, it's fucking terrible! Worse thing I've experienced in a long time."

More snorts followed this admittance and Sasuke leaned back against the pillows of his bed, eyelids drooping dangerously low. _"I would have to agree that it's pretty bad, but nothing compared to some of the other shit I've seen."_

"I-I bet Madara," the young man replied in a sleepy tone of voice.

"_Seems like your getting tired Sasuke, I think it's time we let you get to sleep sweetie," _Izuna crooned in his 'mother-hen' tone of voice.

"Alright," the brunet muttered, slipping under the covers and reaching over the switch off the bedside table lamp. "I'll let you two return to whatever vulgar activities you were partaking in before I called."

"_It's called sex, Sasuke. You should try having some once in awhile, it really releases stress."_

Hearing his other uncle scold Madara for his rude comment, the youngest in the conversation continued on "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I will talk to you guys again soon. Goodnight."

After hearing a chorus of goodnight and promising to call Izuna tomorrow, Sasuke ended the call and set his phone on the nightstand. Resting his head against the feathery softness of his pillow, the man drifted off into the tender caresses of sleep.

**TBC**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, I'm starting a multiple chapter fic while also continuing M****ellifluous ****Susurruses. Hopefully this one will be well received! Itachi will show up either in chapter 2 or 3. Please review if you liked this and would like me to continue!**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Naruto or any characters associated with the series. The plot, however, is my own.**


	2. Sunshine

"So, bastard, what are we going to do today?"

Sasuke glanced up from the article he was skimming, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. "We?" he questioned, raising a single eyebrow "I thought we went over this issue already dobe. I have to attend to my courses during the day. You can go and do whatever you please Naruto, but don't expect me to tag along."

"But Sasukeee" the blond man whined, drawing out the others name "It's a Saturday, I know you don't have any classes today!"

The brunet replied with just a single 'hn' before taking a sip of his coffee and turning back to the article. "Even so, I doubt there are any activities that both of us would enjoy doing."

Naruto stood up from his place at the glass-topped kitchen table and wandered over to the cupboards to search for something for breakfast. "You can't say that," he stated, opening up the doors and rummaging through the contents of one of the shelves. He grinned widely as he discovered a cup of instant ramen behind a box of cereal and pulled his prize out. "We both ended up in the same industry, the same company even! Our music tastes don't differ all that much either."

"Yes, but the similarities end there. Our personalities clash often, your fashion sense is absolutely repulsive, and even our appearances seem to be completely opposite," Sasuke replied, sniffing at his toast before taking a hesitant nibble. He had never had a talent for the culinary arts, his half-burned breakfast an example of such.

"You know what they say," the blond responded, a grin rippling across his face once again as he placed his choice of breakfast into the microwave and punched in the correct amount of time "opposites attract, and by your standards, we definitely fall into that category."

The raven rolled his dark eyes "We've been there, done that Naruto. I thought that was just 'experimentation' as you called it. A high school fling if you may."

"Yeah, yeah bastard, you know you can hardly keep your grubby little hands off this hot bod," the other man replied, whipping his head so that his cerulean orbs were shrouded by his bangs and then flexed his arm muscles. "Your pale ass could never compete with it, may as well just join the following I have."

Sasuke glanced down towards his fingers, he didn't think they seemed dirty or small. Elegant was a description that held more truth to it. "Yes Naruto, that is why I have had to file multiple restraining orders against members of both the female and male populace, while you have been sent to the hospital several times with injuries from 'flirting gone wrong' as you call it."

"Neh, whatever," the blond muttered, pulling his breakfast out of the machine it was in and transporting it over to the table. "Oh, ow, shit hot hot hot!"

Sasuke didn't bother with a response this time, instead maneuvering his way around the idiot in order to dispose of the burnt areas of his toast. He stared remorsefully at the wasted food as the garbage can slid closed. Izuna had always lectured him about the children starving in other parts of the world and how they would have eaten what he had thrown away. It always saddened him how wasteful everyone was despite this fact.

The brunet leaned leisurely against the brown agate countertop, his dark eyes gazing out towards the sea. The sky was almost cloudless today and the sun shone brightly. Navy waves from the ocean seemed to brush up gently against the sand, as if the two were lovers sharing gentle touches. It was the perfect beach day.

Sasuke hated it.

As an Uchiha with pale skin, he tended to burn rather than tan. The dark, concealing clothes that made up his usual outfits left the man feeling overheated and dehydrated after a short period of time. If he removed any of his garments, women and men alike flocked to him like starving animals. The sand also loved to give him a mind fuck by ending up in places it should not be, despite the fact that he spent almost all of his time in a chair elevated high above the damned substance.

Naruto, however, did not share his opinion.

"Bastard!" the blond exclaimed, his head snapping away from the sight he too had been staring at to look at Sasuke. "Let's go to the beach!"

"No," the brunet responded blandly, his gaze unwavering.

"But why not," Naruto whined once again "it's so nice out today! It would be a waste to just sit inside and do nothing!"

"I wouldn't be doing nothing dobe," the raven snapped back, standing up straight with eyes flashing "I would probably go out to scavenge one of the bars here for musical talent, you know, what we're suppose to be doing instead of taking a day off to screw off?"

The blue-eyed man stuck up his hands in defense. "Jeez, no need to get so prissy bastard. I doubt Madara-Sama will care, or even find out if we spend one day relaxing under the fine rays of Sunas' sun. If it bothers you that much, we could even stop for dinner at one of those tacky tourist bars that have local bands play, then it would be, in fact, considered work."

"Yeah, I suppose so, but my uncle left a note saying that the house keepers would be coming here today. What if they steal something while we are gone?" Sasuke questioned, reaching his arms high above his head in order to stretch his back. He let out a low groan of satisfaction as a cracking noise resonated through the room.

Naruto glanced at the Uchiha with a disgusted look on his face in response to the popping noise. "Ugh, don't do that teme," he groaned, picking up his now empty cup of ramen and moving towards the sink to rinse the container out. "I doubt that they are going to rob the house. Don't you think if they were going to, they would have done so when we weren't here?"

"Well," the brunet muttered haughtily, "you can never know the bounds of peoples' audacity. There are new things to snatch now that we have arrived anyways."

The other man failed to hold in a snort "Oh yeah, my Gama-Chan plushy and your Human Geography textbook are definitely more desirable than anything in this mansion."

Sasuke just grumbled in response and watched as Naruto disposed of his trash and went to rifle through the fridge in search of something. Then the realization hit him.

"Wait, Naruto, you still have your frog stuffed animal from kindergarten?"

* * *

><p>It was around 11:00 A.M. that Sasuke found himself removing items from back of the Hummer and organizing them into his backpack. Naruto had insisted they go to the public beach instead of the private one off of Madara and Zunis' lot with claims that wanted to make friends because he 'wasn't an emo loner like Sasuke' and that he also 'wanted to put the moves on some hot babes.' This, of course meant that the brunet had once again had to drive among the elderly in the worst traffic he had ever seen. He had been in Southwest Suna for less than two days and he was already considering mounting a machine gun on the top of the truck and commanding Naruto to shoot out the tires of bad drivers from the roof.<p>

He was clad in an airy, white button-down shirt and beige cargo pants. Underneath he wore navy swim trunks adorned with an Uchiha crest on the right leg. Plain brown flip-flops finished off the ensemble along with his black backpack and sunglasses. Naruto had on a black wife-beater along with an atrocious pair of bright orange trunks and the same sandals Sasuke had (the blond had squawked over this for a full five minuets before the brunet had threatened destroy any traces of ramen from the house until Christmas). The man had chucked his own bag at Sasuke before sprinting off towards the steps that would lead them to the shore.

Heaving a sigh, the raven-haired man locked the vehicle before stuffing the keys into one of the many pockets of his backpack and trailing the other male. Gazing out towards the sand, he took in the fact that this beach was the same as the one at the mansion, except with many more people. Food and drink stands also littered the area, along with vendors who attempted to persuade individuals to try one activity or another. They filled up almost every foot of sand, their ages ranging from babies to those who looked to be more than 100. This meant they would probably have to walk quite a distance to find an open spot.

Oh joy.

He glanced around for a few moments before spotting Narutos' form- mostly due to the obnoxious outfit- running down the shore to his left. Growling slightly as the other man was lost in a crowd of beach-goers, Sasuke took off after him, sprinting.

It was on days like today that he was thankful that he had a history of being his high schools' track star. His lithe form, strong legs and other ninja-esque abilities allowed him to easily catch up to the blond idiot. He dodged around women, men, and children like it was nobodys' business, not once being distracted by anyone's attempts to gain his attention or otherwise. That is, until he was right next to the other man.

"Hahaha, let's make it a race bastard, just like old times!" Naruto had cried between deep breaths, pumping his legs faster and pulling ahead just a smidge.

The raven had said nothing in response, just narrowed his eyes and pushed his body a little harder. He would never admit it out loud, but since beginning work for his uncle and starting yet another semester at the university, he had fallen out of shape. There was a rather hefty percent chance that the blond would be able to beat him, but there was no way in hell he was going down without a fight.

The two men ran for about a minuet straight, neither muttering a word to the other. People blurred by, only distinguishable by blobs of color. A wide-open expanse of sand lay on the horizon; the finish line. Sasuke had managed to gain a lead of a few inches a mere several feet away from the goal when someone to the left caught his eye.

The man was absolutely fucking _gorgeous_, and Sasuke didn't admit that about many people. Shiny, onyx hair cascaded down porcelain shoulders to the bottom of the blades, while long bands framed a beautiful oval face. Black swim trunks hung low on his sharp hip bones, covered slightly by a shirt much like his own, only in a color that was much like that of graphite. The front was left open, letting the world see toned abdominals, and sleeves cinched to the upper arms by small buttons. Mocha colored eyes, dark and smoldering took in the scene of him and Naruto sprinting down the beach like children.

Sasuke felt a sort of heat run rampant in his belly and lower regions. Whoever this stranger was, he was the most attractive thing the raven had seen in a very, very long time. He honestly could not take his eyes off the god-on-earth, which explains the reasons as to why he tripped on a palm frond and face planted into the sand.

Wow. He felt classy.

Lifting his head up and spitting out the mouthful of who-knows-what, Sasuke looked over at Naruto who had fallen to the ground in fits of hearty laughter. He snarled, enraged, and chucked the other mans' backpack at his head.

"Ha, ha! Oh my god teme, what the hell?" he choked out between his muffled fits of hysterics. "H-h-how did you end up tripping like that? Ha-haa, this is like, the funniest thing I've seen in a long time! Too bad I didn't tape it, you were all like 'Oh fuc-' and I heard this thump from behind me, and ha- oh god, you were all sprawled out and shi-"

It was at this point that the blond was shut up when Sasuke slammed his face into the sand. They wrestled around for a few moments, ignoring the blatant stares of other people, before settling down.

"Anyways bastard, what were you lookin' at that distracted you so damn much?" the Naruto gasped out, falling onto his back.

The raven-haired man squirmed uncomfortably, before responding. "There was this really attractive man right over," he paused to turn back where he had seen the individual only to wilt a little when the man was no longer present, "-there."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You sure you ain't seeing things?" he questioned warily. "Uchihas really don't fare very well in the sun and heat for too long do they? Damn your fuckin' vampire genes."

Suddenly, the cerulean-eyed man stood up and heaved the much smaller man over his shoulder.

"What-what do you think your doing dobe?" Sasuke snarled, banging at the others tan back.

"Carrying you to our spot, I think the sun is makin' your weak ass dehydrated, therefore making you see things that don't really exist. After I finish situating you, I'm going to run back to one of those stalls and grab us both something to drink," Naruto responded seriously. "I can't get the feel of sand out of my mouth. Ew."

Sasuke just heaved a sigh and readjusted his position. Maybe he really had imagined that beautiful man and the sun was getting to him. Somewhere, deep in his chest however, he hoped this statement was untrue.

* * *

><p>Sasuke readjusted the sunglasses on his face and shifted uncomfortably on his maroon towel. Naruto had been gone for over an hour now, and the sun was beginning to burn his back. If he tried to lie on it, his front would just get too damn hot, so he was forced to rotate positions every few minuets. He needed Naruto to return so the blond could help him apply sunscreen in the spots he could not reach himself.<p>

Going in the ocean was not an option either, as he had been threatened with castration if he even got a droplet of water on his skin. Naruto had apparently though he was so delirious that he would drown if he travelled anywhere near the ocean. While the thought was nice, it did limit what he could actually do. The blond was such a mother hen at times.

For the past half an hour, he had been texting Izuna. The topic of the beautiful man had of course been main conversation as his younger uncle was certainly good at giving advice about such things (He was not sure why though, as far as he could tell, both of his 'parents' had only been with each other their whole lives). Madara would have blown the whole thing out of proportion and started to make sexual comments, not something Sasuke needed to hear in the situation. He was a good father figure, but only to a certain extent.

Letting a small sigh escape past his pale pink lips, the raven let his eyes droop shut. While lying in the sun was not the most entertaining thing to do and a little more than uncomfortable, the warmth made him sleepy. He didn't usually nap, but in a situation such as this one, he could definitely see how someone could…

"Hey! Bastard! Wake up! You better not have died on me dammit!"

The raven blinked open his dark orbs, squinting against the glare of the sun. "Naruto?" he grumbled lowly, moving to sit up.

"Oh thank kami-sama you're alive!" Naruto cried, falling on his knees in the sand, "I don't know how I would have explained your untimely death to Madara." He thrust a red plastic cup towards Sasuke. "Here's your drink by the way."

The raven took a hesitant sip before deeming it was indeed consumable. Rather than thank the blond however, he decided chastising would be a more suitable approach. "What the hell took you so long anyways?"

Naruto chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his tan neck. "He he he, well you see," he started, "it's a funny story. I had made it all the way back to one of those funky stands that sells overpriced drinks and was standing at the register when I realized I forgot my wallet back here with you. The cashier was lookin' mighty pissed at me cause' I took forever deciding what I wanted so, it was real scary explaining that I didn't have any money to pay for them. The dude looked about ready to skin me alive when this really nice guy behind me offered up the cash! It was such a fuckin' relief man, I felt so indebted to him. I said I would repay him but he was all like 'no, It's fine, it's just the right thing to do,' and I didn't wanna make anyone else mad, so I left."

"That still doesn't explain anything, that exchange took what, about five minuets?" Sasuke grouched.

"Jeez bastard, you aren't my mama or wife, why do you care so much? All you ever do is nag nag nag. That wasn't the end of the story anyways," Naruto snapped back, standing up to his full height of six feet, three inches. "As I was saying before, I just left the stand when suddenly these two lame-ass beach cops rolled up on a couple of Segways and were givin' the guy who bought these drinks a tough time. They kept sayin' he was 'disturbing the peace by hanging around too long' or some dumb crap like that. Feeling I owed him something, I stepped in and told em' that he was with us. After a little bantering, they seemed to back off but they said they would be watching," Naruto shuddered a little at this. "The guy thanked me for the help, and said he had to get going before they actually removed him with force, but I insisted he come chill with us for at least a little while. It was the least I could offer, seeing as he paid for our drinks and all."

The dark-eyed man let out a groan, "Dobe, what the hell? Usually those 'good-citizen' type of people are creeps." Thoughts of some of those type terrifying individuals who he had dealt with in his high school years' flashed through his mind. Zabuza Momochi, who had held open the door for him at the library before attempting to feel him up, had been a prime example. One of his old teachers, Yamato, had been another with his excessive gifting of suggestive objects sculpted of wood.

The blond scoffed "Be nice, he prevented you from becoming dehydrated."

"Hn, whatever," Sasuke responded. "Where is this savior of mine anyways?"

Naruto gave a nonchalant shrug. "He said he was going to go get his stuff then meet me back over here." Spinning around on his heels, the blond gazed in the direction in which he had come from. "Wait, there he is now! Teme, sit up and try not to be such a jackass."

The raven grumbled and planted his drink in the sand before sluggishly moving into a sitting position. He wriggled his toes and stretched his legs as a second shadow fell over him. Glancing upwards he felt his jaw go slack and mouth go dry.

Beside Naruto stood the stunning, god of a man that had distracted him before.

"Sasuke, meet Hatake Itachi."

**TBC**

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><p><strong>AN:** **Updated. Thank you to all those that reviewed the last chapter, I appreciate it. The more reviews I receive the faster I will update... Flames are accepted.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters associated with the series. I also do not own Segway. The plot to this story, however, is my own.  
><strong>


	3. The Result of the Rays of the Sun

Uchiha Sasuke was speechless as he gazed upon Itachi, something that had never occurred before in his 23 years of life. Not when he had to present his first project in kindergarten nor when he had to explain his parents murder to police in middle school nor when he was the valedictorian in his senior year and had to give a speech during the graduation ceremony. Thus, he didn't know how to deal with the situation at hand without acting like a complete and utter fool.

The deities must have blessed the raven that day, however, because the Hatake made the first move after a few awkward seconds (he couldn't tell if the other male had sensed his distress or if it was just good manners) and stuck his hand out to shake. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. Sasuke, correct?"

"U-uh y-yeah. It's nice to meet you too," the Uchiha stuttered in response, his dry tongue slipping out to lick his lips, which were just as parched. He gently slipped his hand into Itachis' grasp and squeezed down a little before commencing in the shaking motion. Glancing downwards, he noted that the other mans' hand was slightly larger and more tan than his own. His grip was strong too, signifying that he was sincere and had the potential to become someone great. Internally, Sasuke pondered what other parts of the appendage could grab before a light blush dusted his cheekbones. When had he begun to sound like a combination of Madara and Izuna? It wasn't shocking his thought pattern was similar to that of his 'parents,' but for Kamis' sake, why had he subconsciously chosen to pick the worst half of both of the men and ended up sounding like a perverted woman?

Suddenly there was an awkward cough from Naruto. Sasukes' glazed onyx eyes blinked rapidly in succession before shifting to stare at the blond.

"Hey, bastard, maybe you should lay back down. You've been clutching poor Itachis' hand there with this zoned-out expression on your face for about a minute now," the cerulean-eyed male suggested, shifting awkwardly before turning his attention to the other raven. "Hey, sorry about Sasuke man, as I told ya' before he doesn't fare well in the Suna weather."

Sasuke immediately retracted his arm and scuttled backwards on his towel. "S-sorry, I-I don' know what was up with that," he cried, his previously pink face flushing a deep scarlet.

Itachi chuckled softly before giving him a warm smile. "Ah, it's alright, I understand. It took me awhile to get used to the heat and sun when I moved to this area of the country as well."

Although he knew the other man didn't think anything was strange regarding his previous actions, the Uchiha still felt rather mortified. He wasn't acting like himself at all. There was a sudden lull in the conversation now, and everyone in the little group could feel the awkward tension in the air.

"Well," Itachi said plainly, "I doubt you guys want me to intervene with your beach day, so I am just going sit right over there. " The man motioned a few feet away with a jerk of his heard, a few onyx bangs lingering over his face due to the motion. "Thank you very much for shooing away those police officers, once again I appre-"

"No Tach!" Naruto proclaimed, already having had picked out the Hatakes' nickname. He flashed his signature bright grin. "You come over here and sit with us! The bastard doesn't mind sharing his spot!" The blond flumped down right next to Sasuke and wrapped his right arms around the ravens' narrow shoulders. "Do ya' Sasuke?"

The brunet snarled and shoved Narutos' arm away before the man could pull him in for a hug. "Get off me!"

"So, so mean to poor Naru-Chan," the blond fake sobbed, falling onto his back before rolling onto the sand next to the towel dramatically.

The Uchiha cleared his throat before turning to regard Itachi, a stoic look on his pale face. He was determined to make up for his fail of a moment before. "Of course, I would be willing to allocate you some of the space on my towel. It would only be proper to offer our guest a space."

The dark-eyed man looked rather wary of this prospect, his dark orbs travelling from Sasuke to Naruto, then back to Sasuke once again. "Are you sure that would alright? I surely do not wish to intrude."

The tan man laughed and sat up straight. "No, of course not! The more the merrier I say! Sasuke tends to be an emo bitch at times, but he hasn't insulted you once yet, so I guess he took a shine to you! You should feel proud my friend, this is a very rare occurrence."

Sasuke shot him a withering look. Apparently the difference in the way he acted around Itachi was quite noticeable if the idiot could figure it out. "No Naruto," he snapped, his slowly building irritability slipping into his tone, "maybe I just feel as if I should be polite to the gentleman who purchased our drinks for us. Especially since it prevented my apparent 'illness."

The blond blinked rather dubiously, then shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, whatever. The main point is that we wouldn't care at all if you sat with us."

Itachi gave a curt nod before hesitantly making his way towards the towel. He gracefully sat down next to Sasuke, the side opposite of where Naruto had been. The air that had blown against the ravens face as the other man had sat down was rich and addicting, smelling of some sort of aged fruit and nut. It made thousands of little butterflies hatch in Sasuke' stomach and flutter around as if they were going ape shit. His nerves were very frazzled and feeling of nausea had dominated the majority of his digestive system. Along with never having been speechless, Sasuke had never experienced the feeling of a crush or truly being in love. If this was what everyone was experiencing when they found their 'special someone' then they must be pretty fucked up. Why in the hell would anyone want to feel so shitty all the time?

He honestly could not contemplate this idea.

There were suddenly giggles and high-pitched screeches from somewhere closer to the shore. Sasuke felt his body tense, such horrendous noises only came from one type of creature; females. While he could tolerate most individuals in the population of the opposite sex (many were actually very insightful and just as intelligent and talented, if not more so, than himself, not that he would never admit it), a few were unbearable. The raven didn't know if there were names for specific types, but the characteristics of this kind were identified easily. Revealing clothes, gobs of make up, unnaturally colored hair and energy that would put an atom bomb to shame. It disgusted him that other men attracted to such vile individuals.

"Wow, lookit' that ass!" Naruto cried as four girls came into view, his cerulean eyes narrowing and mouth opening in a foxy grin. "I can't pass an opportunity like this up! There's no competition down here on this end of the beach!"

Sasuke watched as the blond man stood up and wiped the particles of sand off of his trunks. "Hey, Tach, you wanna join me? I will let you flirt with one of those fine ladies, but I do get to choose which of them I want for myself."

Itachi visibly bit his plump bottom lip, white teeth barely visible under the pink flesh. "Um, that's okay. I think I would prefer to stay here with your friend, if that would be all right."

"Suit yourself," Naruto replied, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Just don't complain to me when you get sick of the bastard here. He gets pretty boring pretty fast."

The raven held back a growl as the blond man jogged over to the girls. He wasn't really boring, was he? It was true that he didn't smile a lot, and tended to brood rather than talk, but did that really mean he was uninteresting? He had a fantastic job that let him meet a lot of cool people, a badass house with a badass car, real cool parents, and enough close acquaintances- he never truly connected with most people enough to call them his 'friends'- to last the average person several lifetimes! Really, who needed a social life or outgoing personality when you could have everything he had?

…

…Oh Kami, whom in the hell was he trying to kid? He was insipid, duller than the vegetables that were sitting in his refrigerator at home! There was no way that a god like Itachi could, or even would, want to have a lover like himself? It would be a miracle if the man would even talk to him every again! Oh, woe is Uchiha Sasu-

"So," Itachi stated softly "your friend there, he is… very interesting."

Sasuke halted his ill-minded thoughts and shifted slightly to look at the man of his affections. The beauty was actually _speaking_ to him? This was an odd turn of events. "Hn, I think he's more of an idiot than anything else," the raven muttered back, rolling his eyes.

There was a chuckle from the other man. "That's not a kind thing to say. He seems very nice, if not a bit different. In a world full of people who are all alike, it's nice to see someone who stands out."

"I suppose," Sasuke mused, a little too excited with the situation to pay any mind to the fact that he did not agree.

"Does he always act in such a way?" Itachi questioned, his ebony locks of hair swaying gently as a sea breeze blew in.

"Most of the time, yes," the Uchiha responded, scowling as the saltiness of the air overpowered the mild scent of the male beside him. "But I will admit he takes charge in situations that call for it."

There was a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like Sasukes' own usual 'hn' in reply. A comfortable silence overcame the two for a period of time before Sasuke flipped onto his stomach.

"Stupid fuckin' heat and sun," he grouched, twisting his abdomen in an attempt to see the irritated skin of his back. The flesh was beginning to sting, a precursor to the burn that was to come within the next minutes of exposure to the sunlight.

"That looks rather painful," Itachi noted, staring rather openly and unashamedly at the other males' body.

Annoyance flashed through Sasukes' eyes, "you don't fucking say?"

Itachi smiled once again, making the irritation Sasuke had felt earlier slip away instantly. "I was a bit of a captain oblivious there, wasn't I?" he snorted, leaning back onto his arms that were pressed against the cotton towel. "Why didn't you put on sunscreen before? I have a feeling you know how sensitive pale skin is."

"Yes mother, I know," was the snarky reply "and I did put it on, hence the reason the rest of my body hasn't turned into a smoldering pile of ash. I just couldn't reach my back. I was going to ask Naruto to apply some for me, but then he saw those bimbos and ran off the hills with them."

Itachi shot him a skeptical look. "I doubt you would randomly combust due to sunburn. Plus, it looks as if your arms are plenty long to be able to reach a fair majority of your spine. I think you were just creating an excuse so that Naruto would touch you."

"What-what the hell?" Sasuke managed in a shaky voice. "M-me and Naruto? There's no way, no fucking way man! We fooled around in high school, experimentation was the best way to learn at the time, but I do not hold any romantic feelings for the idiot now!"

The other seemed rather unimpressed by his explanation.

"Y-you see!" he screeched and reached his arms in awkward positions, becoming rather desperate in his attempt. One appendage was wrapped around his torso, while the other was positioned over his right shoulder. "I can't reach my whole back!"

At this point, the raven tipped over from his seated position and landed awkwardly with a grunt. He flopped around on the fabric, body twitching and moving like a not-so-bright seal would have. The Hatake just shook his head slightly.

"The more you deny it, the more convinced I become that you are lying through your teeth."

Sasuke let out a groan of frustration. "I fucking swear that I am not kidding you!"

"Mm, is that so?" Itachi taunted, eyes glimmering with something that akin to mischief. "Then prove it. Let me aid you in putting on your sun block."

The Uchiha gazed at the other man suspiciously. What in the hell would allowing him to apply sunscreen accomplish? Why would Itachi care if he had feelings for Naruto? Maybe the other man had feelings for the Uzumaki? If that was true, however, then why had he decided to stay with Sasuke instead of go with the blond? Jealousy of seeing him with other people, or perhaps he believed Sasuke loved the blue-eyed man too and was trying to narrow out the competition? This, of course, brought him back to the sunscreen dilemma. Itachi was one big Fricke' enigma and Sasuke had never been a fan of mystery stories. Despite this, he found that he was still terribly attracted to the man. How peculiar.

"I suppose so, if it assuages you and your incorrect perception on the relationship between Naruto and myself," the raven stated slowly, removing the beige bottle from his backpack and handing his over to Itachi. Their fingers brushed slightly during the passage, and Sasuke could feel tingles traverse throughout his system.

"Well then my fine sir," Itachi grinned, moving off the piece of cloth and straightening it out before motioning to it with his elegant hands, "lay down on my station and I shall get to work immediately."

Staring skeptically at the Hatake as he positioned himself in the designated area, Sasuke tensed his body in anticipation. It did not hit him until now just how out of hand the situation had become. If this were any other individual Sasuke had just met, he would be rather freaked out by such a proposition. With Itachi though, it was different. He did not feel at all threatened, to a point where he felt he could remove the walls of his castle and throw his 'ice prince' façade away. He would never reveal such information to the man however, as it was a weakness. Sasuke had strived since he was a child to become just as successful as his uncles one day, possibly take over the companies when they retied, and having a known weakness would not do. Itachi would have to settle with him the way he was, although the raven doubted he would stick around much longer. Most could not stand Sasuke' bitterness for very long.

There were two soft _clicks_ as the lid of the sun block was snapped open and then shut after the desired amount was removed. Soon a light pressure was applied to Sasukes' back and a cooling sensation made the stinging from before become less intense. Smooth hands worked out the deep tension knots that had embedded themselves into muscle.

"I prefer to give my clients a bit of a massage during the application process. Is this all right with you?"

The Uchiha had to suppress a groan and barely managed to nod his head in approval. Itachis' finger had to be fucking magical to feel this good. Of course he had received massages before, but all of them combined could amount to _this_. In the back of his mind, as his eyelids drooped from their previous position, Sasuke wondered idly what other kinds of pleasure those hand could bring to other areas of the body…

Damn, he was turning into a pervert.

"You know, Sasuke," he heard Itachi whisper lowly a few minutes later, warm breath blowing against his ear, "it's okay to close your eyes and rest. I promise nothing bad will come of you. You can trust me."

The Uchiha replied with a barely audible 'hn' and let his eyes close completely. He wasn't sure why he was so exhausted today (it really made no sense since he had gotten plenty of sleep the night before), but it felt good to be able to relax completely. Something strange did seem to transpire though, although he was not entirely sure. Just as he was about to drift off, he thought he felt those wonderful hands trail down his taunt stomach to an area they really should not have been…

* * *

><p>Sasuke woke up by himself two hours later with no signs of any other life forms. An empty feeling grew inside his gut, thinking that maybe he had imagined the whole scenario no matter how realistic it had been. Even the dream he had in the dream after falling asleep seemed like it could be someone his mind would come up with.<p>

He released a pathetic sigh and moved his unusually lax muscles to clutch his phone. Upon deactivating the sleep mode, however, his theory was disproved with a note

'_Hope you had a good rest sleeping beauty. I had to run, but maybe (hopefully) our paths will cross again one day._

_-Hatake Itachi_

_P.S. You are really adorable when you talk in your sleep._

Sasuke flushed a dark red at this. His strange mannerisms had always gotten him into some… strange situations, but this one had to be one of the more embarrassing ones. Why the hell did he have to sleep talk in front of Itachi, the most gorgeous man he had ever laid his eyes on?

Suddenly, the phone in his lap vibrated once more. He glanced down and let out a groan, his face going a few shades darker if that was possible, as he read the message.

_Saucy-Chan~,_

_ I heard you saw a very beautiful man from Izuna! I bet he is very charming (and has a nice ass). I think you should tap that (or let it tap you)! I am only saying this because I feel like it would be beneficial to your health.  
><em>

Fucking Madara.

**TBC**

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><p><strong>AN: I apologize for how short this is, I was going to continue on, but doubt had gotten the best of me. I read some of the absolute masterpieces other authors have penned and I feel as if mine here pales in comparison. Despite this, however, I will continue to update as it seems as if a number have people have taken interest in it! I would like to thank all of the people who read and those who reviewed, you do not understand how thankful I am for all of you. Please continue with your amazing support.**

**If you have questions, do not be afraid to ask. I will establish now that there will be incest (note the Madara and Izuna), but I am not sure what relationship those involved will have. This chapter is kind of funky because I changed the pace and series of events while in the midst of writing this. Please let me know if you feel I'm moving too fast, I will assure you though that Sasuke and Itachi aren't just going to frolic into each others arms. There will be an actual base on to build the relationship on first.  
><strong>

**When I say I may update faster if I get reviews, it is not me saying "I need x number of reviews before I update again," it is more of "I would be more motivated to write if I know people actually enjoy this and don't just read it and think it's terrible." So, in other words, I will probably update more rapidly if I receive encouragement, but it depends on my personal life as well. School nand the work that comes with it (hooray for Pre-AICE/AP classes!) takes up time I love critiques, and as usual flames are accepted. I briefly looked it over for errors before, and will continue to do so in the next few days. Please forgive missing words/replaced words for a short period of time (if there are any).  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the series Naruto or any of the characters. The plot of this story, however, is my own.**


	4. Sink or Swim

The atmosphere in shitty venues had always called to Sasuke. As a teen, and even as a kid, he had been rather rebellious and found comfort in such places. Drugs, booze, and cigarettes were easy to obtain and the people were always much more interesting than the assholes he went to school with. They may have been absolutely hammered or stoned off their rockers, but the individuals at such establishments seemed to understand him.

Nara Shikamaru had been a prime example. He was 27, yet still lived in his parent's basement. No job, no girlfriend, and definitely no determination. His favorite activity had been to just lie on the grassiest hill in the park and stare at the clouds that drifted across the baby blue Konoha skies. Sasuke, of course, only ever saw him at the bar in one of his most-frequented places, Sound. The man was always slouched against the most deserted wall of the building, drugged up on something that he had apparently taken before coming (as narcotics not purchased on the premises were strictly prohibited) and smoking a cigarette. A beer perched on a nearby brick that jutted out of the wall at an awkward angle was not uncommon. Despite all of this, he gave sage advice- more often than not the harsh truth- while doused in smoke and the fog from whatever usually shitty band was playing.

One conversation with the man would always stay crystal clear in Sasuke's memory.

"Kid, why the hell are you here with a bunch of fuck-ups like us," Shikamaru had slurred, running his bony fingers through his sandy brown hair. "You should be with your own kind."

The 13-year-old Sasuke had growled lowly before replying in his cracking, pubescent voice. "What in the hell do you mean 'my own kind'? I thought you didn't fucking judge people, it was too troublesome or some shit."

"You're right, I don't," he had stated in response dully, "but I can tell that you aren't like the rest of us either. You still have the opportunity to save yourself from this self-destructive behavior."

"Who cares. I sure as hell don't, and if I don't, nobody else should either."

The elder had snorted and taken a big puff on his cigarette. "You are one greedy, shallow little fucker."

"The hell?" Sasuke snarled, enraged. "Why you-"

One of Shikamaru's tan hands was raised in a calming fashion, urging the raven-haired boy to stop. "Let me finish brat. Those uncles of yours, you don't think they are going to care if the cops find you dead in some alleyway? Your not the only one mourning the death of your parents, weren't they your fathers brother? And what about that Uzumaki kid you bitch about so much, your rival, he will be fucking pissed if you died in such a pathetic way."

The Uchiha just snorted in an unconvinced manner and turned his head away. "You know nothing."

"Do I now?" the Nara questioned, mockingly. "Or do you just not want to accept reality? That best friend of yours, Gaara, I think he wants you to live too. After all, you are practically his lifeline."

"Sh-shut up! A cretin like yourself doesn't even deserve to speak about him!" Sasuke shouted, his outburst not even rivaling the level at which the music was being blasted from the speakers.

"Weren't you just the one comparing yourself to me and everyone else here? Doesn't that mean you shouldn't be communicating with him either?"

The Uchiha stumbled over his words at this, and Shikamaru just made a low noise in the back of his throat. "That's what I thought."

There was a lull in the conversation for a few moments. Although the two had practically been in an argument, there was no tension between them. These small spats, they weren't that uncommon. It was generally easier for them as youths (Sasuke in reality and Shikamaru in his own little world) to truthfully communicate through heated words and actions than calm discussions.

"You know, you really should cut Naruto some slack," the Nara stated reaching over to grab his alcoholic beverage off its perch. He took a sip and offered the can to Sasuke, who accepted it gratefully.

"Why is that? That idiot deserves every punch I send towards his empty skull," he muttered between gulps of the liquid. If he was to be honest, he had never enjoyed the taste of beer. The flavor never seemed right to him, and it was repulsive if it was any warmer than room temperature. Unfortunately, it was the most common type of alcohol as it was cheap and easy to buy or steal. Taste didn't really matter anyways, he was only after the effects it would bring.

The silver and blue can was ripped from the youth's grasp by the 27-year-old, who shot him a hard look. "Slow the fuck down kid, this isn't your drink! You didn't pay for it, so don't be a pig."

"Hn, whatever," Sasuke grunted, mimicking Shikamaru's stance and leaning against the brick wall.

"So ungrateful," the elder grouched and took another drink of the beverage himself. "Back to Uzumaki. He is just a much stronger person than you, both mentally and physically."

"How the hell do you figure that? That idiot cried when he dropped he stupid instant ramen on the floor! And he is three inches shorter than me!"

"His past is worse than anything you have ever seen. Kids a fuckin' orphan-"

"Who was taken in by Iruka, just about the nicest guy on the planet."

"-is shunned by over half of the cities residents-"

"Yet has more friends than I could ever even dream of."

"-and all because of parents who died prior to him being a single day old protecting Konoha."

"Life's a bitch."

The Uchiha flinched as a calloused hand came in contact with his cheek at a rather high velocity. He immediately pressed his palm to the irritated flesh and turned to look accusingly at the other male. "What in the hell was that for?"

Shikamaru just scoffed disgustedly in reply. "Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you hanging around, how I don't just knock your sorry-ass out and sell you as a sex-toy while your unconscious."

"Son of a bitch," Sasuke muttered "how do you know all this stuff about Naruto anyways? Is stalking one of your hobbies too?"

"Nah, too much work in that. My mentor just worked under the kids dad when the dude was the mayor," the Nara responded casually, the anger draining from his voice as quickly as it had arrived. "I think his name was Minato. He apparently started with nothing, but his goal was to become mayor of Konoha. It wasn't a real big dream, not like becoming the lord of the nation, but the competition was still tough. The position he was aiming for still had a lot of pull in global matters. Minato didn't let this deter him though, was a good citizen and worked real hard his whole life. He became the youngest leader at age 25. While he was at some convection in Whirlpool, he met some hooligan named Kushina and fell immediately in love with her. The two got married less than a year later."

The Uchiha was staring the other man with an intense look in his dark eyes. "Yeah, well what happened next? How did they end up dying?"

"Well, they were happy together for awhile, but they wanted a kid. After months with no results, they headed to the medical clinic. The doctors said that Kushina had a very slim chance of conceiving, but they never gave up hope. Minato continued to lead the city, while his wife worked with the local charities. He became the best-rated mayor in the nation, everyone started calling him the 'Hokage.' Through a miracle, Kushina became pregnant with Naruto. Everyone was so fucking happy for them, but the day Naruto was born, some gang from another place, nobody really knows where, decided to show their ugly mugs and cause trouble. Asuma said everything that happened after that wasn't really clear, but the police found Minato and Kushina disemboweled in the forest outside of town. Minato was holding a sobbing infant Naruto," Shikamaru had taken a deep breath, inhaling the smoke that was drifting from his cigarette. "I think he was lying' to me about the ending though."

"Why do you think that?" Sasuke questioned, his brain processing the information as he spoke.

"Mhm, just get the feeling," the elder spoke, glazed eyes looking at an unidentified point in the room. "I did a little research afterwards and found that they had an open-casket service for em' after. If they were disemboweled, wouldn't it have been closed?"

"I suppose, but couldn't they have just sewn the bodies up?" Sasuke asked.

"I dunno about that medical shit kid, go ask a nurse or something if you wanna know that badly," Shikamaru stated, "I still think it sounds shady though."

A second bout of comfortable silence descended on the two. The bright lights danced off their glossy irises and the pounding of the music made the floor seem to vibrate beneath them. Heated bodies grinded and slammed against each other along with the tempo of the song in what could be called some sort of painful form of entertainment. In actuality it wasn't calming at all, but the familiarity of it all made them feel almost at ease. Almost.

"So, I take it that Asuma you mentioned was your mentor then?" Sasuke started.

"Yeah, he was a cool dude. Taught me a lot of things my parents never bothered to introduce me to. Not the drugs and alcohol though, told me to stay away from them." The man smirked bitterly then. "I never was one for listening though."

"What happened to him?"

"He died of an overdose a few years ago, left me by myself in the harsh environment that we call modern society," Shikamaru muttered, dropping the butt of his cigarette to the floor and grounding it out with the heel of his foot. "I guess I got you now though kid, I'm your mentor."

The Uchiha snorted and pulled out his Smartphone, glancing at the lighted screen in order to read the time. 2:30 A.M. "Yeah, sure, whatever floats your boat. I have to get home, I was supposed to be back by nine. Yesterday morning."

The Nara nodded slowly and watched as the kid pushed himself off the wall and began to walk towards the exit. "Hey, Sasuke."

The boy twisted his body in order to see the man who had called for him and raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"Keep off the drugs, lessen the amount of booze you drink, and stay away from that man I told you about, he's bad news. Don't end up like Asuma and myself."

Sasuke gave a confused shake of his head before beginning to walk again. Shikamaru watched him exit the building after pushing open the heavy metal door. Frost floated in the warm air for a few moments after it had once again been shut before melting away into nothing.

* * *

><p>The next day, Shikamaru's parents found their son dead on the floor of their bathroom. There were several bottles of pills scattered around the body, and a needle full of what the police identified as heroin residue sticking out of his arm. He had died of a severe overdose.<p>

Sasuke, with his heart stirring with a strange agony, had decided to not attend the funeral a few days later, despite the fact that the Nara had known him better than most everyone else. That day, he met up with Naruto in school and the two made plans for that weekend. That night, he found himself outside the door of the individual who Shikamaru had insisted he stay away from.

"Oh, how pleasant, master had been expecting you Sasuke-Kun," a sickly looking man with white hair had crooned at him, a crooked smile upon his face. "Come in now child, I'm sure you do not wish to catch your death in this frigid weather."

The raven had nodded sullenly and walked into the light of the warehouse, under the other mans arm. The brightness had stung his eyes, but he was sure that the end result would be warm and pleasant.

How wrong he was, as fake warmth is nothing compared to the real thing. It left one feeling empty and wanting.

* * *

><p>Sound was not an unfamiliar name to Sasuke, although he never realized the chain of venues and amphitheaters had spread all the way to Sauna. They were run by Akatsuki's main competitor, Otto Inc. and were not all that nice, at least in Konoha (at least from Sasuke's experience as a teen frequenting them). They seemed to become more exclusive as you moved away from their hearth, however, because the one he was currently seated at the bar in seemed to actually be inhabitable.<p>

Naruto had decided that he had needed to impress his new lady friends (who were either surprisingly unintelligent or believed Naruto was loaded, because the blond had been nothing but annoying the whole trip to Sound) by bringing them somewhere nice. So, rather than go to a tacky karaoke bar to work, they had ended up here.

"We are still working teme!" the larger man had proclaimed, "these are the kinds of places you find underground bands!"

"Idiot, the headliner and two of the three openers are all already signed, and with Oto no less!" the raven had snarled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Lighten up man, pull the stick out of your ass and at least try to have a good time. Who knows, maybe the unsigned band will be great and you can snatch em' up before Oto knows what hit them!"

Muttering profanities, Sasuke had stormed into the building after paying the admittance fee. It had been just as dark and smoky as he remembered it, but the people inside seemed to be a little more cleaned up than what he was used to. The bar, surprisingly, had several open seats- perhaps due to the fact that the majority of the people inside were huddled in a mosh pit on the lower level- and the Uchiha had quickly taken up residence in one.

"Mhm, you don't seem to enjoy being here," the bartender said in a sickeningly sweet voice, one that seemed strangely familiar, as he handed Sasuke his first drink.

The Uchiha didn't humor the man with a response, choosing instead to down the beverage in one swallow. With a loud slam, the glass was situated back on the marble counter and slid towards the bartender.

"Kami, you _really_ don't want to be here," the man muttered to himself more than Sasuke and moved to refill the drink. "Is there a particular reason?"

Sasuke reached over the counter and grabbed the now-full glass and downed it in a single swig once again. He shook his head at the pungent taste and repeated his previous motions, this time with a mumbled 'more' added.

"Whoa, whoa buddy, I don't know how you take your alcohol, and that stuff is pretty strong. I am going to wait a few minuets before deciding whether or not you can handle any more," the man stated in an overly enthusiastic voice.

"Are you from a fucking movie or something? Why are you so happy to be a bartender, I mean really, it can't be that great of a job!" the raven snarled, irritated with the mans happy-go-lucky attitude.

"Hey man, don't discs the job, it's only an excuse to get out of the house and away from the overbearing girlfriend! Besides, I got this day job watching the house of these two rich guys, and they pay me a ton of cash just to-"

"Yeah, not sorry to say I don't really care," the raven cut him off, attention focused on the band currently performing. They weren't terrible by any standard, but improvements could definitely be made. Starting with their personality; they needed one. The band directly before them wasn't even worth mentioning, but the first one to play, they made Sasuke want to vomit. They had not a single trace on talent in them (the drummer looked as if he was attempting to drum with some sort of fish), and the lyrics were terrible. Who in their right mind would write about 'art being a bang,' then proceed to get in a fight with their lead guitarist on the stage about it? If Naruto honestly thought he was going to bring _that_ back to his uncle, then the blond must have been more of an idiot than originally perceived as. He would be the laughingstock among his parents for years to come!

"Testy, testy, oh so testy," the barkeep muttered heatedly.

"Hey, by the way, do you have any BB?" Sasuke questioned half-heartedly, not really expecting the other man to know what he was speaking of. Only those from one particular Sound (the one in which he had spent the most time at) would know it was an acronym for a certain type of beer.

Violet eyes lit up in recognition, however. "Ah, so your one of those kids who used to hang around the Sound establishment in downtown Konoha, eh? I've only heard about it through the rumor mill, never been there myself. Is it pretty sick?"

The Uchiha shrugged, devoting most of his attention to the band. "It was alright, nothing fancy or anything."

"Ha, I bet not! I heard it's so dirty there and that there are tons of drug dealers! Do they really let anyone in there, even if they are underage? Is the music truly so loud that the brick walls rattle? More importantly, is there a unicorn that barfs rainbows that they keep in the back? Oh, and what about the angry leprechauns and the golden chi-"

"Lay off the boy, Hozuki," a voice from beside them spoke.

Sasuke froze, still as a statue. While the apparent name and voice of the bartender sounded strangely familiar, he could never forget the person whose voice had previously spoken belonged to. The man who saved his life, pushed him the edge too many times to count, took something from him at such a tender age that he could never get back in trade for drugs, who-

"Hello, Sasuke-Kun," the voice cooed gently in his ear, the warmth of the persons breath heating up Sauce's left ear. Cool, searching hands immediately slipped under his shirt and pressed against his slightly toned chest. "I never expected to see your beautiful face in one of my venues ever again. This is a fabulous surprise. I suppose my night will end in a glorious fashion now as well."

The hands twisted the pink nubs of his nipples, overly sensitive from their over-exposure to the sun.

In the background, the vocalist of the final band could be heard crooning a song.

The Uchiha would have to admit, the band currently performing was absolutely amazing. They all displayed talent, the frontman was extremely charismatic, and the lyrics to each song seeped raw emotion. Each member was sexy too, with dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin…. Kind of like Itachi was, but with tattoos.

Wait.

Where the hell had that come from? Such preposterous thoughts were not suppose to enter his mind, especially not in such an uncomfortable situation! The Hatake wasn't that attractive anyways, it must have just been his brain thrust into over-imaginative mode after being exposed to the sunlight for too long!

Yeah, that was it.

There was a twist to his nipples once again, this time much harder. Sasuke had to bite his tongue in order to stop a yelp from escaping from between his pale pink lips. "You know I don't enjoy it when you ignore me Sasuke-Kun. Playing hard to get only ends up with you hurt in the end."

"A-ah Orochimaru."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for this taking so long, I had a lot of school work and then went to go see a concert this weekend! So yes.**

**You guys asked for more on Itachi yet he doesn't even make an appearance this chapter! I'm sorry, I don't know how I got so carried away with Sasuke, I just like his past and it was kind of necessary in order to introduce Oro. **

**The band mentioned, the last one, was based on Falling in Reverse. I do not hold any rights in the band. They were actually the ones I went to see, and were so amazing. Ronnie Radke is hilarious.**

**To my reviews, thank you so very much! I love you all very much, please continue to support this! If you haven't reviewed, give it a try! I would appreciate it! I promise I don't bite (hard). Flames are accepted as well. I would adore critiques as well!**

**I do not own Naruto or any characters mentioned, the plot, however, is my own.  
><strong>


	5. Sound

Sasuke swallowed hard and attempted to angle his form in a way that allowed him to break away the man who was practically spooning him. There was a rasping noise, laughter from the other.

"That's it, say my name slut," Orochimaru hissed lowly, jerking Sasuke's body around to face his own. "Say it like you used to when you wanted your fix."

The Uchiha averted his gaze, instead choosing to look upon the man on the stage. The long drenched locks, sweat running down colored flesh and trailing down into tight leather pants. Strong legs propelled a body around the raised platform where the hands of fans reached up in an attempt to touch their idol, halted by the meaty security personal. Vocal chords pushed out beautiful melodies, amplified by the highest quality sound systems and techo-

The cool hands were suddenly removed from his chest, instead moving to grasp his chin in an iron grip. Sasuke found his head yanked in a painful manner in order to meet Orochimaru's line of vision with his own.

"Naughty naughty, Sasuke-Kun, you always did like pushing my buttons," the snake muttered, his strange, golden eyes flickering with malicious intent.

As was usual, at least from what Sasuke could recall, the man was dressed up in clothes worth more than a decent car. Several dozen bangles, encrusted in various precious and semi-precious stones, clinked against each other on his pale wrists as he moved about. From his overstretched earlobes hung the gaudiest earrings know to mankind, drenched in some sort of silver glitter (possibly made out of actual silver). Greasy black tendrils of hair shadowed one feline-like eye and were tucked back on the opposite side. Layers upon layers of makeup seemed to tie the outfit together, the purple eyeliner and shadow playing a stark contrast against the pure white blush that resided on the mans cheeks.

The young Uchiha struggled against his captor, back pressing harshly against the cool countertop and leaving a dent in the skin.

"Now why don't we play a little game," Orochimaru grinned, sharp teeth almost seeming to shine in the low light. "We will both pretend like we live in downtown Konoha once again. You were beaten and thrown to the street by your parents for being a little slut, and I find your pitiful form all bruised in some alleyway. Deciding to be a good Samaritan, I bring you back to my home, give you a good meal, a bath, and some clean clothes. Of course," the snakes smile seemed to grow broader "there is a way in wish I want you to repay me, as almost nothing in life is free. You are my slave, meaning you do the cleaning, cooking and yard work. Naturally, any sexual desires I have will be fulfilled by you. You are to refer to me as master, and your name is hereby revoked."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the man. What the hell was this, some kind of new kink? It had never transpired while he had worked under the man, before-

"What do you need me for, Kimimaro not cutting it for you anymore?" he questioned mockingly.

"Shut up you little shit!" the elder snarled, slamming the other males body into the stone slab. "Do not speak of things that do not concern you!"

The Uchiha flinched as his back was repeatedly forced against the hard surface. The action was sure to leave bruises in the morning, but that really was his concern at the moment. His priorities lied in getting away from Orochimaru, a seemingly almost impossible task.

The jerking movements halted abruptly, but the momentum caused his form to continue its forward descent. Their chests met with a low, inaudible thump.

"Well, looks like somebody came around to the idea fast," the pale man mumbled, moving his thin lips to the shell of Sasukes' right ear "it surprises me as you were so objective to the idea mere seconds before."

"F-fuck o-off," the younger growled through clenched teeth. A shutter ran through his form, body reacting to the mild teasing that it had not experienced for a very lengthy period of time (he did not consider the sunscreen incident from earlier in the day anything but platonic due to the circumstances). The times he had been with Orochimaru before were anything but pleasant memories. In fact, they had left him feeling quite hollow and opposed to the act of sexual intercourse. Love obviously did not exist, only lust. The human race was foolish in their attempt to find their 'special someone' and those who claimed they had just wished to fall into what was considered the norm.

Despite all of this, however, he found himself wanting. A fire burned deep in his gut at the thought and made a certain organ between his legs become a little firmer. The sensation was rather novel. The point at which it had begun seemed to be during the afternoon hours, a bit prior to him waking from his nap. Perhaps Itachi had been the reason for such a reaction, with his luscious mocha locks, and burning gaze…

No, that couldn't be right. He shouldn't lie to himself about such a thing. His mind must be playing some sort of fucked up game with his heartstrings just because the man was attractive. Being hot doesn't necessarily mean that you are a good person, especially not for Uchiha Sasuke. One could have some creepy obsession or a raunchy personality. From what he had experienced, Itachi had seemed like a flirty pervert who enjoyed riling other people up for his own enjoyment. He wasn't sure about a weird obsession though, but he didn't doubt the man had one. Maybe one for cats, like a cat man (hence the reason he still seemed to be single even with his looks). Or maybe he liked to take random pictures of peoples butts and then compile them into a screensaver for his computer. That seemed like a liable option as well. The emotional rollercoaster Sasuke was on, could therefore then be coming from some sort of late puberty.

At age 22.

Right.

"Mmmm, I think I'd prefer to fuck you," the snake muttered, his grotesquely long tongue slipping out from between his lips and gliding across the Uchihas cheek. The action made the younger want to retch and he squirmed with an increased vigor. He had been partly mistaken with his train of thought; he desired sex, but definitely not from this man. Someone with a body coated with needles and fingers of daggers would be preferred over the vile cretin known as Orochimaru.

"Hey, Oro, un! Come over 'ere and pay us you big cheapskate, you promised double the usual since we filled in on short notice!"

A shout from the other end of the bar seemed to distract the elder man and cause him to cease his molestation. The voice was very faint due to music that pounded out from the speakers and amps, however it did cause many patrons of the venue to look in that direction in curiosity. There was a vague silhouette of someone flailing his or her arms about in the air as to attempt to gain attention. Based on the repulsed and annoyed look on the snakes face, Sasuke could tell it was not an individual Orochimaru wished to deal with.

"Deidara, I will send you your check in the mail as is common practice among those who perform here."

The voice did not seem to like this answer. "No, un! I need the money now to pay for my wife and kids! Don't make me leave you a gift in your office again, un!"

There was an irritated sigh from behind him, and Sasuke felt the prying hands pull out from under his shirt. "The fool doesn't even have… I have to resolve this issue before that nuisance does anything destructive," the pale man stated blandly, stepping back from the counter "we will continue our escapade at a later time, yes Sasuke?"

The Uchiha did immediately have a response, and the snake had slithered away by the time his muddled mind had managed to formulate one. He would never admit it, but he did find himself a tad bit tipsy even with his history of heavy alcohol consumption. The stuff he had been sucking down like a starving infant does milk before had been much stronger than expected, although he could just be out of practice.

Thankful for his opportunity to be alone, as the bartender had scurried off the who-knows-where when Orochimaru had shown up, Sasuke slumped down on the oak barstool. He placed his fingers at his temples and began a slow, circular motion in an effort to massage away a headache that had begun to burn at the back of his skull. What the hell was going on with him today? None of this behavior was normal, at least it hadn't been for years! He was supposed to be the serious and more than slightly irritable college student, not someone who became a little flustered and hot and bothered by strangers and pedophiles!

A presence seemed to meander up to his side and take the seat directly next to his own. The raven-haired man felt rage creep up his spine. Of every single other chair at the empty bar, the freak had to pick the one right next to his own. Fucking fantastic. Just as he was about to make a snarky comment, the individual decided to speak.

"It seems to me that you are just a magnet for bad-luck."

Sasuke froze instantly. He recognized that voice. "Itachi."

There was a chuckle from the man and the Uchiha rotated in his seat. "You have guessed correctly," the Hatake replied, the corners of his lips turning up in a small smirk. "Seriously though, first you almost, as you phrased it, 'turned into a pile of smoldering ash' and then you proceeded to come and get molested by Orochimaru. Today just does not seem to be your day."

"Hn, think what you will," Sasuke muttered, eyes taking in the delicious eye candy that was Itachi. He had changed his outfit since the beach, choosing to exchange his button-down shirt for a maroon wife-beater. The swim trunks were replaced by coal-colored skinny jeans that were almost as tight as the frontman belting out melodies on the stage (the bulge between his legs was easily seen and the Uchiha self-consciously crossed his legs in order to hide his growing erection). Tattoos' seemed to lick up his arms and disappear under the garments of clothing like fire would to kindling.

Scratch his comments from before. This man could have an obsession with sheep or old people who picked their noses or some other equally nasty thing and Sasuke would still be attracted to him.

"So, what are you doing at a place like this? I'd figure you would head home and get some rest after your illness earlier today."

The Uchiha began to drag the tip of his finger around the rim of his empty and previously abandoned glass. "Originally we were supposed to be working tonight, but Naruto wanted to bring his new lady friends somewhere nice. He said we might be able to find some sort of talent here, but I know he was bullshitting me because he knew I didn't want to go with."

Itachi nodded and tool a sip of his own beverage as he eyed the object Sasuke was playing with. "Would you like another drink?"

"Ah, no. I'm pretty sure I've had far more than I should already, plus I doubt I have enough money to cov-"

The Hatake cut him off by calling the name of some drink Sasuke had never heard of to the bartender who had rematerialized before turning back to face him. "Nonsense, I'm sure you can get a little tipsy once in a while. I will cover the charge so do not fret over that."

A pink flush seemed to overcome the ravens pale face. This man kept buying him things and treating him so damn nicely. What kind of game was he trying to play?

There was a sudden silence, a period in which Sasuke noted that they were angled in such a way that their knees brushed against one anothers. Itachi didn't seem to notice, however, and stared at Sasuke in a way that made the other mans his palms sweat and heart race.

"So," he started, becoming a little uncomfortable "you seem to know Orochimaru."

The other man did not seem like enjoy speaking about that particular topic as he just gave a curt nod. Sasuke could see how his usually gorgeous dark eyes that hinted at something sexual seemed to harden at the mention of the name. His figure seemed to tense up as well. "Yes. Let's just say we were… acquaintances a while back."

"I see," the Uchiha replied intelligently.

Silence descended upon the two once again, something that seemed to happen a lot when they spoke. Sasuke thanked the bartender internally when he returned with what Itachi had ordered because the awkwardness of the situation was broken.

With a heartwarming smile, the brunet man pushed the beverage towards Sasuke. "Try it, it looks a little funky but I can almost guarantee you will enjoy it."

Funky wasn't really a word Sasuke would use to describe the liquid. It looked vomit inducing with its brownish-green color and odd stench. There was some kind of distorted looking fruit hanging off of the rim, sagging like a boneless creature. When he moved to stir the drink, he found that the consistency was thick and there seemed to be some sort of chunks mixed inside.

What. The. Fuck.

"Uhm, are you positive it's supposed to be like this?" he asked, a little skeptical. He swore he just saw the damn thing move on its own.

The corners of Itachi's eyes crinkled as he snorted a little. "I promise, I was a little wary of it too. It ends up being surprisingly good."

The Uchiha switched his gaze from the beverage to his partner at the bar as he raised the glass to his lips. He cringed as he watched the goop slowly slide down the glass side and onto his taste buds.

"Holy shit," he groaned, tipping back his head "this is so good."

He wasn't bluffing either. It was as if someone had compiled all the best flavors in the worlds, blended them up, and poured them into one glass. For being so thick and full of chunks, it seemed to effortlessly slide down his throat. He was almost sure it could prevent depression and suicide as just one sip seemed like fill his heart with joy and made him want to fly (where had this concoction been when he was a teenager?). If unicorns really did shit candy rainbows, this is probably what they would taste like.

"I told you that you would enjoy it," Itachi said, a bit of laughter seeping into his words. It made the butterflies in Sasuke's stomach from earlier that day return with a new vigor.

"What the hell is in this stuff? Like, some rare and exotic fruit?" The Uchiha questioned, lifting the cup to his lips once again.

"No idea. A friend showed it to me a while back when I was having a particularly bad day and never responded when I asked what the ingredients included were. Based on his hesitancy, I assume it contains something particularly disgusting so I never asked again. It's better not to ruin it," the other man replied, watching as Sasuke downed the rest of the drink in one large gulp. "Would you like another one of those?"

"I could no-" the younger brunet replied almost bashfully, motioning in a passive way with his arm before cutting his statement "-yes."

The Hatake seemed amused by his antics, despite the fact that he was becoming drunker than he had been in a very long time. Things began to get a little fuzzy by the third drink however.

"Do you r-remember what I said in my sleep today?"

Itachi gave him a content look. "Yes, of course."

The Uchiha giggled a little. "Telllll meeeee."

"Mhm, I don't think so."

Sasuke's face fell. "Why not?"

"I don't really feel like sharing it with you," the man stated nonchalantly, playing with the vermillion ring on his right hand.

"That's so mean! Why are you such a jerk?" the raven grouched, crossing his arms.

"I suppose because I can be," the man admitted.

The younger gave a 'hn.' "Well, will you tell me one day?"

"Maybe."

The music that resonated from the stage went uninterrupted by their conversation for a time while the Uchiha proceeded to down another drink.

"S-so why are you here?" Sasuke inquired, his upper body now splayed across the counter top and face pressed to its cool surface.

"A few of my friends were in the first band that played and I showed up to support them," Itachi responded, voice softer than before. He seemed to mutter something else under his breath, but the Uchiha was too busy howling with laughter to notice.

"Oh my god man, they were so terrible! I-I would never sign them, ever! They sound worse, worse than Naruto when he sings in the shower! I be-bet a seal barking would interest people more than that blond dude!"

Itachi snorted and rolled his dark eyes. "Yes, I do realize they are not what you would consider top of the line. They only do this when Orochimaru needs someone to fill in last minute for a little extra cash. No where in their future do they plan to become famous for this."

"G-good," Sasuke slurred, dragging his hand across his red face. "I bet you can sing o-or play guitar or somethin."

The man choked on his drink, which he had been sipping, and took a few second to regain his composure before replying. "Ah-ha, what makes you think that?"

The raven grinned lopsidedly and flopped onto Itachi's body. His arm's wrapped around the taller mans neck and he pressed their foreheads together. "I dunno, I just think you have the right look, with your nice, silky long hair and milky skin. Your pretty enough to be one, that's for sure."

Itachi shifted in his seat and readjusted the other male's body so that he was sitting on his lap before reaching down to support his back. "Is that so?"

"Y-yeah," Sasuke cooed, nuzzling into the colored column of flesh known as the Hatake's neck. His scent was the same as before, if not even more alluring. "Will you sing for me sometime?"

"We shall see," the man responded, the vibrations of his vocal chords traveling through his body and all the way to Sasuke's cheek.

The Uchiha kept his body wrapped around the other mans until an identified person came up and began to converse with Itachi. The individuals voice was gruff and annoying, even more so than Naruto's. Cracking open a single eyelid, Sasuke got his first view of his newest worst enemy.

This person- man- _thing_ had to be at least 6'7" and have the creepiest face his had ever seen. Tattoos, modeled after what he could only assume were gills on a fish, lined his face. He had the beadiest eyes and strangest blue hair, along with tiny ears that were not even visible. His skin was some strange shade as well and seemed to stretch tightly across a very muscular form.

And he was touching Itachi.

And Itachi was wearing a face of contentment despite this and looked to be listening intently.

Sasuke felt molten lava begin to rise in his gut and shifted through several shades of green envy. How _DARE_ this stupid, ugly son of a bitch come in and try to steal his man!

The Uchiha hated him, but alas, everything faded to black before he could utter a single word.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Another update! This chapter was meant to be serious, not really sure** **what happened... Oh well, Itachi has returned to cause poor Sasuke more trouble.**

**Characters will tend to be a little OOC in this as I write them on my vision. Itachi is altered ****even more as he wasn't raised as an Uchiha prodigy.**

**I would like to thank my two reviews for the last chapter as well as anyone else who read/added this to their favorites or alerts! I love all of the support! Please review, as they make me happy. I accept flames as well.**

**Next chapter Madara shows up with his perverted self once again and Sasuke faces the consequences of his actions. I plan to speed it up a little after that so this tale does not span 2,000 chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any character related to the series. The plot, however, is my own creation.**


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